Liquid wax applicator



Aug. 10, 1943. H. c. NIMRICK LIQUID WAX APPLICATOR Filed Sept. 25, 1941 K Y. v fi a; 0 m

Patented Aug. 10, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,326,669 LIQUID WAX APPLIOATOR Harold G. Nimrick, Detroit, Mich. Application September 25, 1941, Serial No. 412,271 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-138) This invention relates to liquid wax applicauid wax may be applied at intervals thus entors the object being to provide a new and imabli g the entire surface to be waxed with conproved structure including a. hollow handle and siderably less manual effort than the usual means a spreader member having a pad like element such as above described. supported by the spreader and to which the liq- The preferred mechanical structure embodyuid wax may be supplied from the handle acting ing my invention is of simple and inexpensive as a container therefor. form and readily operable as will be understood A further feature of the invention resides in from the following description. My improved the provision of a spreader member which comliquid wax applicator comprises a hollow handle prises a substantially non-flexible plate to the l the lower end of which is provided with a transunder surface of which is secured an absorbent verse, and preferably integral, tubular member more discharge portions opening through the erably non-flexible under the pressure applied These and other objects and features of the and also havingacentral aperture through which i whi h ment 6. Thus the parts are secured together Fig, 1 i a perspective view thereof, in a manner to prevent separation of the handle Fig. 2 is a half section taken on line 2-2 of from the applicator in normal use of the appa- Fig. 1 showing the manner of connection of the ratus and yet provides for a flexing of the porhandle element with the applicator per se. tions 3 and 4 relative to the plate 5 thereby main- Fig. 3 is a section taken through the handle t ming the face f the app a or paral el with and the applicator on line 3-3 of Fig. 1. the floor or other surface in the movement there- Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the upper of by the handle toward and from the operator; end of the handle element showing the valve in which movements the angular relation of th controller and the means automatically funchandle to the plate changes. tioning to supply air to the interior of the mem- O th under ace of the plate a Dad 8 is ber as the liquid is dispensed therefrom to the provided which is of an absorbent and fibrous pad. material and the terminal portions 3 and 4 dis- Fig. 5 is a cross section of the handle taken on char e iqu d th i h pa is h d n p a line 55 of Fig. 4 showing the valve operator. by a cloth 9 which extends over the entire sur- It has heretofore commonly been the practice face of the pad and the edge of the cloth is sebe repeated to cover successive small areas of Thus the edges of the plate are covered by My improved liquid wax applicator contains 9 as shown more clearly in Fig. 2. Thi not only a considerable quantity of the liquid wax and has serves to detachably secure the absorbent matewhat may be termed a mop like element (hereinrial and fabric in place but also covers the edges after more definitely described) to which the iiqof the metal plate thereby preventing contact of the plate with furniture or baseboards at the wall of the room in which it is used. It is to be observed that the fabric and pad are readily removable for cleaning or replacement and that be applied to the absorbent material at several specific points by the tubular portions 3 or 4, the movement of the applicator across the surface serves to spread the liquid wax practically uniformly thereover.

As previously stated the handle element is hollow and preferably the lower end ll thereof is contracted to a less diameter practically equal to the diameter of the portion 2 having the outlets 3 and 4. By thus reducing the diameter of the lower end of the handle proper there is provided the outcurved wall l2 which forms a circular seat for a ball valve l3. This ball may be of rubber or other desirable material and, when seated on the cylindrical curved portion 12 as shown in Fig. 3, the liquid in the handle portion l is prevented from flowing to the portion II and thence through the tubular portion 2 to the discharge portions 3 and I.

It is desirable that the ball be normally seated on the seat portion i2 of the handle. For this purpose I provide the coiled spring M which is preferably attached to a bar l5 extending diametrically therethrough on the axis of the tubular handle. A wire it is connected to the bar l5 and extends upwardly of the handle and is attached at its upper end to a bar i1 extending at a right angle thereto and through an aperture provided therefor in the tube I. This aperture in the handle has a rubber insert l8 through which the bar I1 extends and the insert is peripherally grooved providing a central portion fitting the aperture in the handle I and flanges engaging over opposite sides of the handle at the aperture. At the outer end of the arm I! I preferably provide a disc like portion is by which the bar 11 may be turned in either direction as indicated by the arrows shown in Fig. l. The flexible washer like element I8 permits sufllcient rocking of the arm i1 to raise the ball i3 from its seat and permit liquid to flow to the pad and the spring It returns the ball to its seat.

In the use of the device the cap is removed from the open end of the tubular handle I and a quantity of liquid wax poured thereinto and the cap then returned to position shown in Fig. 4. On operation of the lever IS the ball valve is raised to allow a small quantity of liquid to flow into the pad and on release of the lever the ball seats and stops the flow of liquid to the pad.

In order that liquid may readily flow into the pad through the tubular portions 2, 3 and 4 air must be supplied to the upper end of the hollow handle. For this purpose I provide an aperture 2! preferably centrally of the base of the cap 20 and I further provide a thin flexible rubber strip 22 which is attached at its ends portions to the inner face of the cap. With this arrangement as liquid flows from the handle air may seep into the upper end of the handle member due to reduced pressure within the handle. This arrangement prevents loss of liquid through the aperture 2| in the event the handle lies on a flat surface or is upended for any reason and by this arrangement liquid will flow readily to the pad on the raising of the ball valve l3 from its seat. While I have shown and described a ball valve other adaptable valve structures may be utilized.

From the foregoing description it is believed evident that the various objects and features of the invention are attained by the, arrange handle providing a means opposite inner end of the ment of parts a described and that various changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A liquid wax applicator comprising a hollow handle having an outer open end, a removable cap therefor, a tubular element at the opposite inner end of the handle, a plate carried by the said opposite end through which the tubular end extends, a flexible rubber washer having spaced flanges on opposite sides of the plate providing a flexible connection between the plate and the said tubular element, a pad on the side of the plate opposite that from which the handle extends, the hollow handle providing a means for carrying a supply of liquid wax, and manually operable valve means providing for flow by gravity of a desired quantity of the liquid from the handle to the pad.

2. A liquid wax applicator comprising a hollow handle having a filling opening, a plate carried by the opposite end of the handle and through which the handle opens, the plate having an opening to receive the said opposite end of the handle, a hollow flexible member through which the end of the handle extends, said hollow member having spaced parallel flanges of a flexible material providing for limited change in angular relationship between the handle and the plate in moving the device across the surface to be waxed, the hollow for carrying a supply of liquid wax, and a manually operable valve adjacent the end of the handle attached to the plate, a liquid absorbent pad removably supported on the side of the plate opposite that from which the handle extends and to which liquid is supplied from the handle.

3. A liquid wax applicator comprising a hollow handle having an open outer end, a removable cap for said outer end, a tubular element at the handle extending at a right angle to the handle and having a number of projecting tubular portions open at the outer end, a plate carried by the said projecting portions and through which the same extend, a pad carried by the plate into which liquid is discharged from said tubular portion, a flexible connection between the plate and the said projecting portion permitting the handle to change in angular relationship to the plane of the plate in the movement of the device in applying the wax to a floor surface, said flexible connection compirsing a tubular element having spaced externally positioned flexible rubber flanges respectively engaging opposite sides of the plate, said hollow handle providing a means for carrying a supply of liquid, manually operable valve means providing for flow by gravity of a quantity of liquid from the handle to the pad, a valve means carried by the cap opening by influence of flow of liquid from the handle to permit air to flow thereinto in replacement of the liquid flowing therefrom.

4. A liquid wax applicator comprising a hollow handle having open outer ends, a tubular element integral with the opposite end of the handle and extending at a right angle thereto, said tubular element having a number of projecting tubular portions at a right angle to the tubular element and having open outer ends, a plate carried by the said projecting tubular portion and through whichv connection comprising a centrally apertured rubber element to receive the handle and spaced parallel flanges to receive the plate, a spring seated valve at the lower end of the handle adjacent the point of attachment of the said tubular element thereto, a pivotally supported lever adjacent the free end of the handle, a connector between the inner end of the handle and the valve whereby the valve may be opened against the tension of the spring, and automatic means providing for ingress of air to the hollow handle by reduction of air the handle to discharge the liquid to the pad.

5. In a liquid wax applicator, a hollow handle for carrying a supply of liquid, a liquid applicator comprising a plate to which the handle is flexibly connected to permit a limited change in angular relationship of the handle and plate, said flexible pressure within plate, a pad on the side of the plate opposite the handle, a woven cloth element of a bag like form through the open end of which the plate may be introduced, a flexible element secured to the open end of the fabric member tending to contract the the plate opposite that from which the handle extends.

6. In a liquid wax applicator, a hollow handle for carrying a supply of liquid, a manually controlled valve means for regulating the volume discharged from the handle, said handle including an open inner end portion, a plate tiltably supported thereon to provide for variation in the angular relationship of the plate and handle: in the use of the device, means for tiltably supporta valve means manually operable to discharge a quantity of liquid therefrom matic relief valve for supplying air to the outer end of the handle on reduction of pressure therewithin due to discharge of liquid to the pad.

HAROLD C. NIMRICK. 

